Jenson Button: Life to the Limit: My Autobiography

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Maga a könyv igazából átlagosan érdekes, se pro, se kontra nem tudnék nagyon kiemelni semmit. Legfeljebb néhány momentumot, ami vagy érdekes, vagy nem. Például a szellemíró neve lemaradt a kötetről, ami fura. Button azon kevés sportoló közé tartozik, akiben látok annyi intelligenciát, hogy akár meg is tudjon írni egy könyvet, de a szöveg pont annyira egyensúlyoz a pallérozottabb megfogalmazás és a kissé egyszerű mondatsorok között, hogy a képzeletbeli pacsit inkább a szellemírónak adjam. Ami még kiderül belőle, hogy bár Button maga azt írja, hogy nem volt az a tipikus bulizós playboy, ehhez képest tucatnyi piálós sztori van benne. Az is tetszett, ahogy az életútból kiderül, hogy a tehetség ugyan egy dolog, de az, hogy rengeteg mindent megtanítottak neki az ideális tapadásról, az autó egyensúlyáról és sok mindenről fiatalkorában, az rengeteget számított. És persze ott van az édesapjához fűződő viszonya, amit nehéz nem sorsdöntő jelentőségűnek tekinteni, nemcsak a fiának nyújtott folyamatos lelki támogatás miatt, hanem azért is, mert kezdetben elég sok kaput meg tudott nyitni neki a pályafutásában. És persze akadnak elhallgatások, valahogy a szülei rossz viszonyáról, a válásukról, az édesanyjáról kevesebb szó esik, ahogy az első menedzsere is „fehér folt” marad a történetében. Cserébe viszont a győzelmeinek vagy az érzéseinek a visszhangja szépen kiolvasható, ahogy néhány olyan apróbb momentum, amelyre kevésbé volt felkészülve (pl. a sajtó szerepe). There is obviously a desire to show the reader how close the well-publicised relationship between Jenson and his father was. I think this comes across well - you can see how involved his father was and what a central figure he was to almost all of Jenson's adventures. I never ever expected the golden boy of Formula 1 to be so relatable. "Finding my peace starts with a shot of coffee." Same Jenson same. This book captured the essence of Formula 1 in great detail and if you're a massive fan like me, you'll learn so much from it. Pedig sosem voltam igazából Button-szurkoló. Először megjegyeztem a nevét, mint egy fiatal tehetségét, aki aztán beleszürkült a mezőnybe. A váratlanul megnyert 2009-es világbajnokság után azt gondoltam, hogy ilyen gyenge világbajnokból sem akadt túl sok, de azóta azért Button megmutatta, hogy össze lehet mérni a legjobbakkal.

An enjoyable book in many ways, and one that might just appeal to a whole lot more than afficianados of a selfish sport, I am happy to recommend How To Be An F1 Driver. This book doesn’t go into too much of the nitty gritty details of things (something I’m sure his other two biographies might do more), and just reading it certainly won’t make you F1 driver ready (you’ll still need the years of karting, junior formula and tens of millions of pounds spent for that), but it is a lot of fun and gives an interesting insight into “formulaoneville”. The writing is very accessible and easy to read - it’s almost conversational in reading.

Igazából nem nagoyn szeretem ezt a műfajt, mert többnyire úgyis szellemírók írják meg több-kevesebb ügyességgel, ami részben elhitelteleníti a művet, részben pedig érdektelen sztorikkal fújják fel. Akkor már inkább Forma-1 kapcsán is olvasom a külső nézőpontos könyveket, mint például Christopher Hilton klasszikusait a különböző pilótákról. Often referred to by commentators in the past as an Ambassador for Formula I, one time world champion, Jenson Button reveals to the ardent fans a little of what goes on behind the scenes - the rivalry between team mates, the unrealistic expectations of rookie drivers who come in believing that speed is enough, the complexities of the car and changes that have occurred over the past couple of decades since Button first took the F1 car's wheel. In a relaxed conversational style, he talks about his personal drive, his father, his fatherhood to be, the ongoing love for motor sports and 'growing up'. For any F1 fan, this book is a fascinating insight into that racing world. On the podium at Abu Dhabi in 2010 when he'd won the Championship and thus taken it off me, he said, "I'm really happy to be standing up here with you, it really means a lot," which was a very cool moment, because the previous year we'd been on that same podium and I was world champion and he was the guy who has been fighting me for it. So, yes, we've always had a good relationship. While family and girlfriends are talked about, Button doesn’t go into much detail about his personal life, so if you’re looking for juicy romantic stories, this may not be the book for you! However, a poignant moment is when he covers his girlfriends abortion, and how the press failed him.

Honda’s decision to withdraw from Formula One in 2008 left Button wondering what he would do for the subsequent season if the team didn’t find a buyer. The team management led by the team principal and serial winner Ross Brawn bought the team from Honda for a nominal sum and named the team Brawn GP. With this team in 2009 Button won six of the first seven races and ultimately went on to claim his first and only Formula One World Drivers’ Championship. Brawn GP also won the Constructors Championship.Mais enfait non. Button est visiblement un des pilotes ayant du le plus d'expérience et une des carrières les plus riches de l'histoire, ayant combattu auprès des plus forts et les ayant battu d'ailleurs (même F.Alonso ça me fait mal de l'admettre). The one obvious omission is the manoeuvring to get him out of the Williams contract, dealt with in a couple of paragraphs, which is the one thing that I would have liked to have seen expanded. Where How To Be An F1 Driver scores is in opening up an understanding just how much work ethic is involved in ever getting established in the elite sport. Despite the use of humour and an element of tongue frequently planted cheekside, the underlying message is one of application and cooperation... and not making too many mistakes. The author highlights this early in the book. Retired, but still a contracted driver, he was called in for one last race at Monaco. Frustrated at being in last place and faster than the car ahead, he attempted a passing move that saw the other car tipped over on its side, its driver's head against the armco barriers (but thankfully unhurt). I’ve recently read and reviewed Mark Webber‘s autobiography and Damon Hill‘s and I loved both of them. So when I heard that Jenson’s was coming out, it went straight to the top of my Christmas list. And as it happens, Santa popped it under my tree and before the Boxing Day turkey curry had even been cooked, I’d already started it. I’ve always liked Jenson, he’s very intelligent and great to listen to. He’s fun and likable and I was certainly a bit sad to see him leave Formula 1. But this book captures JB in the most literal sense. It’s so very “Jenson”. Kevés sportágot nézek lelkesen, a Forma-1 az egyik (a foci a másik), és annak ellenére, hogy megértem azokat, akik fanyalognak, hogy egy ilyen unalmas sportágra hogyan lehet olyan sok időt pazarolni. És nem tudok nekik olykor nem igazat adni, hiszen mostanság azért akadnak „dominancia-korszakok”, mint például az idei évig bezárólag a Mercedesé, előtte a Red Bullé, kicsivel előtte meg a Ferrarié, ezek pedig néha nekem is unalmas versenyeket produkáltak.

How to be an F1 Driver, is a very enjoyable listen for any long time F1 fan. I personally enjoyed reading about the car controls, aerodynamics and downforce, written in so straightforward a way that even this totally non technical reader could understand. And I loved the anecdote about the race when Jenson could not remember how to start the car - he was in pole position, too, so no pressure .. Jenson Button, personnage dont je me moquais, je le classais comme un pilote très en retrait, peu ouvert et très peu intéressant. C'est un pilote dont la presse ne parle pas ou du moins plus. Pour moi c'était le mec qui avait gagné un championnat sur un coup de génie de Ross Brawn, et c'était tout. I’ve always had a soft spot for JB. It may sound a strange thing to say about a former world champion but I’ve never felt he got the respect he deserved so I was interested to see what he’d have to say. While he may be being a bit diplomatic at times, you can hear his voice through the book, it doesn’t sound ghost written, it feels like his words put on paper.What's ironic is that I got an art scholarship on my colour ability and I'm much more a pattern-maker than anything else. I like glass and light and colour. So did K. What a combination, a shared love of art (but he could afford to commission it) and cars, and it went nowhere because he was the protypical rich racing car playboy. He was livin' the dream. His anyway. I've been studying NASCAR, loads of links I'm still following. I really want to understand how it all works. This book was an enjoyable read, it was interesting reading about Jason Button's racing life. He writes almost as well as he drives! Towards the end of the book, Button gets very emotional as he recounts his father’s death and the loss he felt. He reflects on how his father’s tragic passing left a massive void in his life and had him questioning his love for F1. The narration is moving and one feels for Button as one realises how much he adored his father. What we love about Life to the Limit: My Autobiography by Jenson Button

If you know me at all, you will know that there’s two things I absolutely adore. Books and Formula 1. Books and reading have been a life-long love of mine, ever since I was too young to remember. Formula 1 is a relatively new crush, having only been introduced to it really within the last 3 years but 3 years could easily be 33 because I have enveloped myself in Formula 1 ever since my boyfriend introduced me to it and I’ve wanted to watch and learn and read everything I can about it. Now, I never miss a race, I could tell you the World Champion each year for the last 50 years more or less and I love a good Formula 1 documentary. But a Formula 1 book? That’s what I’m here for. Jenson Button, at 20 years of age, was the youngest British driver to debut in Formula One in 2000 and the tenth to win the Formula One World Drivers’ Championship in 2009. He won his first points in Formula One in only his second race in 2000 with the Williams team. He joined Benneton in 2001 which became Renault in 2002. In 2006 with Honda he took his first Grand Prix win in the Hungarian Grand Prix. Life to the Limits, in Jenson's own words, isn't just about his F1 glory days - it's about the trials and tribulations it took to get there. I knew a lot of his F1 stuff - from 2005-onwards, his Championship winning year, the McLaren years, because I've been there, seen that. It's the before I knew nothing of - how much blood, sweat and tears went into getting Jenson where he is today. It's such a fascinating read and it helped build up my admiration for Jenson more. He truly does seem to be the nice guy of F1 - it's not an act, it's just who he is, how he was brought up. I learnt a shit ton of new things like the fact that Lewis Hamilton won a championship off one of Jenson's dad's engines and that Jenson was temporary teammates with Max Verstappen's mother.The book combines stories of growing up along with his racing career, right from his karting days and through Formula One, and goes deep into his relationship with his father. Some things that his fans would have liked to know have been left out or glossed over. How and why for example, was he labelled as a ‘playboy’? Why did he want to leave British American Racing (BAR) for Williams in 2004 even as he was enjoying his best season to date? Was the contract misread by his management team or was it BAR’s signing of the contract with Honda to supply the car engines. Jenson's book lifts the lid on the gilded and often hidden world of Formula 1. He reveals his relationships with some of the biggest names in Formula 1- Lewis Hamilton, Michael Schumacher, Fernando Alonso as well some of the most colourful characters like Bernie Ecclestone, Ron Dennis, Frank Williams and serial winner Ross Brawn. My wife used to imagine she had a crush on Jenson Button, a man with everything a girl could want: Tall, suave, well-spoken, successful and thoroughly cashed up, he was an utter charmer. I never took umbrage. You see, she had me. The first four of her criteria might be moot, but certainly not the last: I admit I never earned tens of millions of dollars by hopping in a car and driving it fast. Along the way there's all the advice that may be useful to aspiring racers, all the stuff he wished he'd known years ago. From the importance of knowing how the car works to the best way to spray Champagne. But he makes a good job of detailing his successes in his racing career and the role his father played in it. The requirements of fitness needed to be a Formula One driver and the trials and tribulations (often with the trademark Button wit) that he went through to achieve what he has are very well put.